Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/906,997

LAMP CONTROL SYSTEM, LAMP CONTROL METHOD, AND VEHICLE

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Oct 04, 2024
Priority
Mar 26, 2024 — RE 10-2024-0040864
Examiner
DUNAY, CHRISTOPHER E
Art Unit
2875
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
76%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1m
Est. Remaining
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 76% — above average
76%
Career Allowance Rate
564 granted / 741 resolved
+8.1% vs TC avg
Moderate +14% lift
Without
With
+14.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
1y 10m
Avg Prosecution
39 currently pending
Career history
772
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
81.9%
+41.9% vs TC avg
§102
4.6%
-35.4% vs TC avg
§112
9.7%
-30.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 741 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Election/Restrictions The Restriction requirement mailed 1/08/2026 is withdrawn. Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Claims 1, 2, 4-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, as based on a disclosure which is not enabling. The disclosure does not enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention without the limitations of claims 2 and 3, which is/are critical or essential to the practice of the invention but not included in the claim(s). See In re Mayhew, 527 F.2d 1229, 188 USPQ 356 (CCPA 1976). In regard to claim 1, 13, and 15, the applicant omits any changes in the light distribution. This is only captured in claim 3. Claims 2 and 3 must be rolled up into the independent claims before allowance. Claims 2 and 4-12 are further rejected for depending on claim 1. Claim 14 is further rejected for depending on claim 13. Allowable Subject Matter Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Buerkle et al (US 2025/0368235 A1) disclose a vehicle headlight. Sung (US 2025/0178518 A1) disclose a variable lamp. Yoon (US 2024/0383474 A1) disclose a vehicle control device. Ishikawa (US 2024/0326805 A1) disclose a vehicle control device. Kuramochi et al (US 2024/0017662 A1) disclose a control apparatus. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E DUNAY whose telephone number is (571)270-1222. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 am - 6:00 pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James (Jong-Suk) Lee can be reached at 571-272-7044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /CHRISTOPHER E DUNAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Oct 04, 2024
Application Filed
Mar 05, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jun 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
76%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+14.0%)
1y 10m (~1m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 741 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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